Streets of Katikati come alive with arts and crafts

John Groves dressed as Katikati's town cryer again to celebrate the Katikati Art Festival on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner

The odd shower did not deter crowds at the Katikati Arts Festival at the weekend.

The festival was run in conjunction with the New Zealand Mural Contest, in which six artists from around the country competed for the commission to publicly display their mural in Katikati. Competitions were also held for sculpture, songs and photography.

The main streets were flooded with people looking at arts and crafts and admiring the work of hobbyists and professional artists.

John Groves, of Katikati, again dressed as the town cryer, posing for photos and providing local knowledge. He has played the role for the past 14 years.

"I think this year's event was the best we've had so far," he said. "The whole town was alive and it was a very happy day."

Katch Katikati promotions manager Jacqui Knight said there was "real buzz" around the township. "The town was just heaving at the sides ..."

The event ended yesterday with prizegiving for the art contests.